Cricket Australia officials were keen to stress yesterday that on-field matters will take a back seat as the governing body attempts to help its players mourn batsman Phillip Hughes.

Australia are scheduled to begin the first of four Tests against India next Thursday but the clash in Brisbane has now been cast into doubt following the death of Hughes on Thursday.

Hughes, who would have turned 26 tomorrow, died of the injuries he sustained two days after being struck in the head by a bouncer while batting for South Australia against New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

His death has sent shockwaves through cricket and Cricket Australia understandably want to avoid rushing into a decision over whether the national team will be able take to the field at the Gabba next week.

Chief executive James Sutherland said: “Cricket will go on and it will go on when we’re ready.

“We haven’t broached that subject with the players yet, we will in time but to be honest they’ve got other things on their mind.

“I know for many people seven days doesn’t seem too far away but in other ways it’s a million miles away. We’ll get there when we can.

“He (Hughes) would want nothing more than for the game to continue, but as I said before, the game will continue at Test level, when we’re ready.”

Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s executive general manager of team performance, echoed Sutherland’s sentiments.

Howard confirmed the Test team had travelled to the SCG to grieve for Hughes and stressed that the focus is on the individuals, for the time being, rather than cricket.

“We’re not going to talk about the first Test, we know it’s there,” he said. “What we’re focused on is today.

“We’ve brought the whole team in, the whole Australian Test team are here. Today’s about grieving.

“In regards to anything we do do, we need to make sure the players are in a position where they can make strong choices and that’s not now, that’s not this time.

“We’ll do whatever we can, whatever the players need, to deal and cope with this, we’ll do whatever we can to help and support the Hughes family.

“We’re going to focus on people first rather than the cricket.”

Sutherland said Sean Abbott — the bowler who struck Hughes in the domestic match on Tuesday — is coping “really well.”

While there has been an outpouring of grief following Hughes’s death, Abbott has been consoled by former and current professionals and fans alike amid concerns he may never play again.

But Sutherland, who chatted with Abbott yesterday, said: “It’s been fantastic the way people have shown concern for Sean. Sean is holding up really well, I’m incredibly impressed by the way he’s holding himself and his maturity.

“It’s a grieving process that will affect people in different ways. Right now, he’s holding up really well and I’m incredibly impressed with him.”